Engine starter



April 26, 1932. w. P. L oUDoN ENGINE STARTER Filed May 19, 1922 lll S ia

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ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT Vori-"lele:

WARREN P. LOUDON, OF

SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ENGINE STARTER Application led May 19, 1922. Serial No. 562,076.

My invention relates to engine starters and it has particular relation to starters of the manually-operable type employed in connection with the engines of automobiles or other motor vehicles.

One object of my invention is to provide an engine starter that is arranged to be actuated into operative position by manuallyoperable means and to be returned automatically to an inoperative position upon the starting of the engine.

A second object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of the character described above which comprises means for retaining the starting mechanism iii inoperative position upon its automatic actuation thereto independently of the position of the manually-operable controlling means.

In its broad aspect, my invention comprises a starting motor and a pinion that is mounted for both longitudinal and rotary movement on the rotor shaft. A manually-operable member actuates the pinion into and out of operative engagement with the flywheel of the engine. A screw-threaded sleeve actuates the pinion out of engagement with the flywheel gear upon the starting of the engine, regardless of the position of the manuallyoperable member. A latcliing mechanism retains the pinion in its inoperative position until the manually-operable member has been returned to its normal position.`

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of an engine starter embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view, in transverse section, the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar View taken on line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail View of a modiicatioii of a portion of the latching mechanism.

An electric motor 1 is provided with a shaft 2 having a reduced portion, which is supported, at its outer end, by a suitable bracket 4. The bracket 4 extends into the flywheel housing 5 of an internal-combustion engine (not shown). A pinion 6 is mounted upon a screw-threaded sleeve 7 that is slidably keyed to the shaft portion 8. The screwalong threaded sleeve 7 is secured to a sleeve 8 that is slidably mounted on the shaft 2. The longitudinal positions of the sleeves 7 and 8` relatively to thek shaft 2 are controlledby a manually-operable lever 9 that is pivotally mounted at 10 and isprovided with a bifurcated portion or yoke 11 for engaginga collar member 12 that is slidably mounted upon the sleeve member 8.

A spring 14 yieldingly holds the collar member 12 in the position in'which itis illustrated against a collar member 15. The spring.Y 14 bears at its other end against a collar member 16 that is integral with the sleeve member 8.. The pinion 6 is normally maintained in its outermostposition relatively to the screw-threaded sleeve 7 against a collar member 17 by means of a torsion spring 18 that is secured, at its outer end, to the pinion 6 and which is secured, at its inner end, to a collar member 19 that'is mounted upon the sleeve member 8. A starting switch Y 2O that-is mounted upon the motor frame comprises a movable member 21 that is adapt- I ed to be engaged by a projecting member 22 that is carried by they manually-operable lever 9.

Reference may now be had to Fig. 3 in which the details of a latching mechanism for y retaining the pinion in one position relatively to the sleeve member 7 are shown. The pinion 6 is provided with an annular flangek member V24 which carries two resilientrods 25 or wires of steel or other suitable material that extend transversely to the axis of the shaft and are mounted upon opposite sides of the latter. i As shown in Fig. 4, a single piece of wire 26 may be employed. At the outer end of the sleeve member 8, is an annular shoulder portion 27, having inclined sides 28, that is adapted to engage the rods 25 when thepinion occupies its innermost position relatively to the-sleeve member 7.

It may be assumed that the parts are in the reach of the operator, is actuated tothe left as viewed in the drawings. The collar memmember 12, the pinion being forced into mesh With the flywheely gear upon, the initial movement of the armature shaft. When the lever 9 has nearly completed its path of movement and.V occupies the position indicated by dotted lines, the member 22 engages the switchmember 21 and the. circuit of the motor. is completed through the switch 20.

The. motor torque is transmitted through the screw-threaded sleeve 7 and the pinion 6fto the flywheel 29. When the engine starts under'its oWn power, the flywheel 29 rotates the pinion 6 at a rate higher than that Vof theshaftv 2 .and thel screw-threaded sleeve 7Y that is connected for rotation therewith.

The screw-,threads of the sleeve-member 7 extend in such direction that the forward rotation of the pinion relatively to the sleeve member causes thepinion 6 to move aXially tothe left until it is disengaged from the flywheel gear 29. In case the operator does not release the lever 9 at the exact moment of the starting of the engine, the pinion continues its movement to the. left relatively to the sleeve member 7, Winding the spring 18 until the resilient rods 25 carried bythe .pinion pass over the shoulder member 27 to yieldingly retainV the position.

When the operator releases the lever 9, it is returned to its illustrated position by a suitable spring (not shown)l to return the sleeve members 7 and 8 and their associated parts to the left toward their respective normal positions. The pinion 6 is actuated to the left by the sleeve member 7 andthe latching mechanism. When the flange portion 80 of the pinion 6 engages a projection 31 of the motor housing 4, the pinion is actuated to the right relatively to the sleeve member 7 to disengage the latchingA mechanism and to perpinion in its retracted .mit the spring 18. toV actuate the pinion to its outermost positionfrelatively to the sleeve member 7.

By means of the arrangement described above, the operator is enabled to control the engine starter by manually-operable means and lto-avoidY any danger of damage to the mechanism by reason of his failure to release thev starting pedal at the proper instant. There is no danger of the return of the pinion to engage the rapidly rotating flywheel in case the starting pedal is not released. The

Vtion pending the release-of latching mechanism operates to retain the pinion in its disengaged position until the pedal is released to retain all of the parts in their respective inoperative posit-ions.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an engine starter, the combination of a driving member adapted to engage a member of the engine to be started, of manually-operable means for actuating said driving member bodily-'in one direction for engagement with the engine member, automatic means for actuating said driving member in the opposite direction, and latching means for thereupon retaining said driving member in its Vdisengaged position until the manuallysition.

2. In an engine starter, the combination of a driving member adapted to engage a member of the engine to be started, having an engaging anda disengaged position, of manually-operable means for actuating said driving member vfrom its disengaged to its Voperable means is returned to its normal p0- -engaging position, automatic means for returning said driving member to its disengaged position independently of the manually operable means, andV means for retaining said driving member in its disengaged posithe manually operable. means. Y

3. yIn an engine starter, the combination of a driving member adapted to engage a member of the engine to be started and having an engaging and a disengaged position, of manually-operable means for actuating said driving member from its disengaged to-its engaging position, means for returning said driving member to its disengaged position independently ofthe position of said manually-operable means, and means for yieldingly retaining said driving member in its disengaged position pending the release of the `manually-operable means.

4. In an engine starter, the combination of a driving member adapted to engage a member of the engine to be started and having an engaging and a disengaged position, of manually-operablemeans for actuating said driving member from its disengagedv to its engaging position,means forreturning saidY driving member to its disengaged position independently of the position of said manually-operable means, and latching means for retaining said driving member in its disengaged position until said manually-operable means is released. v

5. In an engine starter, the combination With an engine member, a motor and pinion operativ-ely connected to said motor, of a manually-operable member for actuating said pinion into engagement With said engine member, automatic means for effecting the disengagement of said pinion When the engine member becomes the driving member, independently ofV the position ofy said manually-operable member and means for retaining said pinion in disengaged position until said manually-operable member is returned to its inoperative position.

6. ln an engine starter, the combination with an engine member, a motor and pinion operatively connected to said motor, of a manually-operable member for actuating said pinion into engagement with said engine member, screw-threaded means for effecting the disengagement of said pinion when the engine member becomes the driving member, independently of the position of said manually-operable member and means for retaining said pinion in disengaged position until said manually-operable member is returned to its inoperative position.

7. In an engine starter, the combination of a pinion adapted to engage a member of theengine to be started, a manually-operable member for actuating said pinion into, and out of, its inoperative position, a screwthreaded member for automatically actuating said pinion into its inoperative position independently of said manually-operable member and means for retaining said pinion in its inoperative position when it is automatically actuated thereto until said manually-operable member occupies its inoperative position. V f

8. In an engine starter, the combination of a pinion adapted to engage a member of the engine to be started, a manually-operable member for actuating said pinion into, and out of, its inoperative position, la screw, threaded member for automatically actuating said pinion into its inoperative position independently Yof said manually-operable member, means for retaining said pinion in its inoperative position when it is automatically actuated thereto until said manuallyoperable member occupies its inoperative position, and means for returning said pinion to its normal position relatively to said screwthreaded member upon the release of said retaining means.

9. In an engine starter, the combination with a rotatable shaft, a screw-threaded sleeve member slidably mounted for 'longitudinal movement thereon, and a similarly threaded pinion mounted upon said sleeve member, of a manually-operable member yieldingly connected to said sleeve member, means for yieldingly retaining said pinion in one position relatively to said sleeve member and latching means for retaining said pinion in a second position relatively to said sleeve member.

10. In an engine starter, the combination with a rotatable shaft, a screw-threaded sleeve member slidably mounted for longitudinal movement thereon, and a similarly threaded pinion mounted upon said sleeve member, of a manually-operable member yieldingly connected to said sleeve member,

Vmeans for yieldingly retaining said pinion in one position relatively to said sleeve member, latchlng means for retaining said'pinion in a second position relatively to said sleeve member when Vit has been actuated to such position while the manually operable member is in its operative position. l

l1. In an engine starter, the combination with a rotatable shaft, a screw-threaded sleeve member slidably mounted for longitudinal movement thereon, and a similarly threaded pinion mounted upon said sleeve member, of a manually-operable member yieldingly connected to said sleeve member, means for yieldingly retaining said pinion in one position relatively to said sleeve member, latching means for retaining said pinion in a second position relatively to said sleeve member, and means for disengaging said latching means when the manually-operable member is returned to its inoperative position.

l2. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve `mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted on the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said shaft, and a catch device located on the sleeve and adapted to engage the driving member when the sleeve is in forward shifted position and the driving member is in retracted position disengaged from the engine member.

18. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted on the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally tending to hold the driving member towards one end of the sleeve gine member, and means for holding such driving member towards the other end of the sleeve against the pressure of such yielding means after disengagement of such driving member and while the sleeve is still in shifted position toward the engine member.

14. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable drive shaft, a screw sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a pinion threaded on said sleeve for longitudinal movement thereon and rotary movement therewith, manually operable yielding means for bodily shifting said sleeve and its pinion along said drive shaft in a forward longitudinal direction to v cause engagement between the pinion and a member of the engine to be started, said pinion being yieldingly on said shaft, yielding means 110 and adjacent the enn into engagement with the rengine held at'the forward end of the screw thread of such shaft.

l5. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a screw sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a pinion threaded on such sleeve for rotary movement therewith andiy for longitudinal movement thereof and adapted to engage a member of the engine to be started, manually-operated means for bodily ,shifting said sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said rotatable shaft, and a coiled spring encircling the sleeve and connected at its opposite ends to the pinion and sleeve respectively.

16. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a pinion adapted to engage and drive `an engine gear and to be driven thereby when the enOine becomes selfoperative; of a motor; operating connections between the motor and pinion including means whereby, when the engine gear becomes self-operative, the pinion will be automatically demeshed; a pedal for shifting the pinion into mesh with the engine gear; means for transmitting motion from the pedal to the pinion including a spring which allows the pinion to be demeshed from the engine gear regardless of the status ofthe pedal; a device for latching the pinion in demeshed position if the pedal is held in operating position when the engine becomes self-operative; and means for unlat-ching said pinion by the return of the pedal to normal position.

17. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a driving member adapted to engage and drive a member of the engine to be started and to be driven thereby when the engine becomes self-operative, manually operable means for shifting the driving member member including a spring which allo-ws the driving 'member to be disengaged from the engine member regardless of the status of said manuallyv operable means, means whereby when the engine becomes self-operative the driving member will be automatically disengaged, a device forlatching the driving member in disengaged position if the manually operable means is held in operating position when the engine becomes'self-operative, and means for unlatching said driving member by the return of said manually operable means to normal position.

18. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable driving shaft, a sleeve mounted throughout its length for longitudinal sliding movement thereon and rotarily driven thereby and externally screw threaded, stop means on the end of the sleeve at one end of the serew threads thereof, a pinion threaded on said screw threads, and manually operable means for bodily shifting the sleeve and pinion longitudinally on said shaft.

l19. An engine starter drive Comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve Ymounted to slide thereon substantially throughout its length and driven thereby, a driving member mounted upon the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal member of the engine to be started, and manually operable means for bodily shifting said sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said rotatable shaft, and including a shifting sleeve slidable upon the other sleeve and a spring operatively connecting the two sleeves to form a lost-motion connection between them.

20. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon substantially throughout its length and driven thereby, a driving member mounted uponr the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started, manuell1 operable meansy for bodily shifting said sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said rotatable shaft, said sleeve having an abutment intermediate its length, and said manually operable means including a shifting sleeve slidable upon the other sleeve and a spring' between the shifting sleeve and one side of said abutment.

2l. An engine starter rotatable shaftya sleeve mounted to slide thereon substantially throughout its length and driven thereby, a driving member mounted upon the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started, manually operable means for bodilyv shifting said sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said rotatable shaft, said sleeve having an abutment intermediate its length, and said manually operable means including a shifting sleeve slidable upon the other sleeve and a spring between the shifting sleeve and one side of said abutment, and a second spring between the driving member and the other side of said abutment.

22. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted upon the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said shaft, and means for holding the driving member in a disengaged position after being disengaged from the engine member.

23. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted on the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement drive com rising a movement thereof for engagement with a with a member of-theY engine to be started, means fory bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally lon said shaft, and means mounted on the sleeve and Vcooperating with the driving memberto hold it in a disengaged position after being disengaged from: the engine member.

24. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted upon the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movementtherewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started,

means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said shaft,

said sleeve having at one end means for stopping the longitudinal movement of the driving member in one direction, and the driving member being normally positioned against said stop means, and means for acting on the driving member to hold it in a retracted p0- sition after being disengaged from the engine member.

25. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted upon the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said shaft,

said sleeve having at one end means for stopping the longitudinal movement of the driving member in one direction, and the driving member being normally held positioned against said stop means.

26. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted upon the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said shaft, and means for holding the driving member in a retracted position on said sleeve after disengagement of such driving member and while the sleeve is still in shifted position towards the engine member.

27. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted upon the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to be started, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said shaft, said sleeve having at one end means for stopping the longitudinal movement of the driving member in one direction, and said driving member being normally positioned against said stop means, and means whereby the driving member is yieldinglyheld against such stop means.

28. An engine starterdrive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve'mounted to lslide thereon and driven thereby, a driving inember mounted upon the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for lon-y gitudinal movement thereof forengagementv with a member of the engine to be started, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said shaft, said sleeve having at one end means for stopping the longitudinal movement of the driving member in one direction, andsaid driving member being normally positioned againstsaid stop means, and a spring for yieldingly holding the driving member' against such stop means.

29. In an engine starter, the combination4v of a driving member having an engaging and disengaged position, manually operable means for actuating said member from'its disengaged to its engaging position, means whereby the member is disengaged when the engine operates under its own power, and means engaged position until said manually operable means in released.

30. In 'an' engine starter, the combination of a driving member having an engaging for retaining said member in its disl and disengaged position, manually operable means for actuating said member fronritsv disengaged to its engaging position automatically operated means acting in response to the operation of the engine under its own Y power for'disengaging saiddriving member, and means for retaining said member in its disengaged position until said manuallyoperable means is released. 31.Y An engine starter drive lcomprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slidel thereon and driven thereby, a driving member mounted on the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a member of the engine to befstarted, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member lon-1 gitudinally on said shaft, means for returning said driving member to its disengaged position independently of the position of said shifting means, and means for retaining said driving member in its `disengaged position until said :shifting means isrelea'sed. y

32. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slidey thereon and driven thereby, a driving m-em-v ber mounted on the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and forlongitudinal movement thereof for engagement with a` member of the engine to be started, means for bodily shifting the sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said shaft, means lfor returning said driving member to itsldisengaged position independently of the position of' iro lao

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Ien

33. `An engine starter drive sleeve having at one end said shifting means, andmeansfor retaining said driving Vmember'in its disengaged position until said shifting means is released and controlled in its release by the sleeve in its return to normal position.

A comprising a lrotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member adapted for longitudinal engagement with a member yof the engine to be started mounted on the exterior of said sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof to an extent greater than the extent of engagement of said driving member with the engine member, and manually operable means for bodily shifting said sleeve and driving member longitudinally onsaid rotatable shaft.

'34. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member adapted for longitudinal engagement with a member of the engine to be started mounted on the exterior of said sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinalmovement thereof to an extent greater than the extent of engagement of said driving member with the engine member, said means for limiting the longitudinal movement of the driving member in one direction, and manually operable means for bodily shifting said sleeve and driving member longitudinallyA on said rotatable shaft.

35. An engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon-and driven thereby, a driving member adapted for longitudinal engagement with a member of the engine to be started mounted on the exterior of the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinalk movement thereof to an extent greater than the extent of said driving members engagement with the engine member, and manually operable means for bodily shifting said sleeve and driving member longitudinally on said rotatable shaft and including a yielding lost-motion connection cooperating with said drivin member.

36. n engine starter drive comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve mounted to slide thereon and driven thereby, a driving member adapted for longitudinal engagement with a member of the engine to be started mounted on the exteriorof the sleeve for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement thereof to an extent greater than the extent of engagement of said driving member with said engine member, said sleeve having provision to arrest forward longitudinal movement of the driving member,'yielding means normally maintaining said driving member in forward position on said sleeve, and manually operable means for bodily shifting saidv sleeve and driving member longitudinally on .said rotatable shaft and including a yieldingv lost-motion connection cooperating with said driving member. ,I

37. In an engine starter, the combination of a driving member having engaging and disengaged positions, manually operable means for actuating said member from its disengaged to its engaging position, means whereby the member is disengaged when the engine `operates under its own power during maintenance of said manually operable means in actuated position, means for retaining said member in its disengaged position, and means for releasing said member as said manually operable means returns from actuated position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this eleventh day of May,

WARREN P. LOUDON. 

